The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, MIRA Books, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Give me stories about the nobility. Give me stories set in London, the countryside or with a Mediterranean flair. Give me complex characters that try to make their way through life without losing hope. Give me all that and I am yours as a loyal reader. I thought this book would totally be my cup of tea. I imagined myself…
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No One Saw
No One Saw by Beverly Long My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist At the time I decided to read and review No One Saw, I was not familiar with the characters of detectives McKittridge and Morgan or the previous story that did the initial introduction of them. I jumped in with both feet, ready to embark on a mystery story with a police-procedural flair to it. The story accomplished that and yet it didn’t. There was a distinct divide between solving the…
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The Last Wife
The Last Wife by Karen Hamilton My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I have not felt this torn about a book since I read Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, except this time I am even more at odds with what to write. Let me set the scene. I decided to write this review a few hours after finishing the book, before the few strands of coherent thoughts about this book vanish into thin air. I have done my stretches. Literally rolled…
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Stranger in the Lake
Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Two words: murder mystery! I’m weird in the sense that murder mysteries calm me down. When I have had a stressful day, I put on an episode of some murder show and I feel better. When I’m anxious and feeling on edge: murder mystery. Here is the thing, though. It has been very hit and miss for me when it comes to murder mystery books. Some of them…
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Sister Dear
Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I kept putting off writing this review for as long as I could and now, I’m in a real time crunch. I’m tired, uninspired and a headache is starting to form right behind my eyes and I just want to curl up on the couch and watch cartoons. Yup, it’s one of those days. I kept procrastinating on this review, because I don’t know what to say about it. I don’t know…
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This Is How I Lied
This Is How I Lied by Heather GudenkaufMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I finished this book two days ago and needed some time to relish in it. It was an intense, but very satisfying read. I haven’t had much luck in the past with mystery stories and was on the verge of cutting them out completely from my reading list, but then I got an email from the publisher with a very intriguing synopsis of a new mystery/thriller/suspense story. Well, colour me…
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The Nest Keeper
The Nest Keeper by Beth Krewson Carter My rating: 2 of 5 stars I received this ARC from Red Coat Publishing and the authors in exchange for an honest review. I had to take a long break from reading this story, in part because of my piling research I have to do, and in part because of the way it made me feel. I’m still quite on the fence about this book and I can’t even decide on the rating. I found the characters drove this story more than the plot, which is great. But I had trouble finding just one character I could remotely like and muster up some…
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The Doll House
The Doll House by Phoebe Morgan My rating: 2 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review.I guess with this book began my search for new contemporary adult mystery/thriller stories; something I could read and get lost in when I’m not in the mood for YA, cozy murder mystery or fantasy. I was excited and happy to have been approved to read a book that already had such a great reputation. Sadly, this was also not the end of said search.I couldn’t relate to the protagonist at all. She was in a place in her life that I will never be…
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The Death of Mrs. Westaway
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware My rating: 1 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review.This is the second mystery book I read in late spring in an attempt to satisfy my craving for a good contemporary mystery story, alas in vain. I saw this story greatly promoted before its publication and I felt so special for having received an ARC. Plus, this story is set in Cornwall, a place I recently was fortunate enough to visit and admire.I must apologize in advance for perhaps coming across a bit strong, but I have a great pet peeve when…
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The High Tide Club
The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews My rating: 1 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review.In late spring I was in the mood for contemporary thriller/mystery stories and from the synopsis The High Tide Club seemed to be the right fit to satisfy my reading craving. Sadly, and I know I’m in the minority here, the story did not offer what it promised.I found all the characters underdeveloped and uninteresting. And the further I read the book the more annoying the protagonist became. I understand that the author intended to create a complex character to carry the story,…
